Enrollment
533
Indiana · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Bluffton, IN
Lancaster Central School
Federal NCES profile for Lancaster Central School, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 37/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 180822001409
👥 S:T ratio 39
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 78
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Lancaster Central School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median.
- #4 of 4
- public schools in Bluffton · Resource Index
- 37
- Resource Index · Typical
- 15.2:1
- students per teacher
- 34.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Lancaster Central School has class sizes near the Indiana median. Computed live against every Indiana school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Lancaster Central School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Bluffton, IN.
School address
District: Northern Wells Community Schools · Indiana
NCES ID 180822001409 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
35.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
15.2:1
vs 15.9:1 Indiana avg
-4% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
34.0%
vs 49.5% Indiana avg
-31% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Lancaster Central School compares with Indiana and U.S. medians
What stands out at Lancaster Central School
Lancaster Central School is a mid-sized combined-grade school in Bluffton, Indiana, enrolling 533 students.
At 15.2:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the Indiana median, within a few percentage points of the 15.9:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 34.0% of students eligible for free meals.
With 533 students, its enrollment sits close to the Indiana median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 1,862 scored Indiana schools.
Among 506 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need Indiana schools statewide, it ranks #444, in the lower tier once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is predominantly White (86% of enrollment) (diversity index 25/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 533 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Attendance holds up well here: only 8.8% of students were chronically absent, below the typical post-pandemic national figure.
Among Bluffton's public schools, it stands alongside Bluffton-Harrison Elementary Sch (750 students): Lancaster Central School is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (15.2:1 vs 13.9:1).
Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Norwell High School (753 students) and Ossian Elementary (566 students) alongside Lancaster Central School.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Lancaster Central School compares
Lancaster Central School on the metrics families compare, against Indiana and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Indiana | Indiana avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 15.2:1 | ▼ 4% | 15.9:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 34.0% | ▼ 31% | 49.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 533 | top 36% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
15.2:1
Leaner classes than 45% of US schools, a middle-of-the-pack class size.
533
Bigger than 66% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
34.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 31% below the Indiana average of 49.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
15.2:1
students per teacher
- 4% below state mean
Top 49% in Indiana - lower ratio than 51% of state schools
Close to the 15:1 benchmark most often cited for individualized attention.
Engagement
8.8%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 5-10% range, close to the pre-pandemic national baseline.
Funding equity
$10,685
per pupil, district-wide
- below Indiana avg of $12,079
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 533 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
3
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.6 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 1.5 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 86.1%
Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
Two or More 3.4%
African American 1.3%
Asian 1.3%
Largest group: White at 86.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 25.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 25.1, Lancaster Central School is less mixed than the Indiana school average of 39.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Northern Wells Community Schools, which includes Lancaster Central School.
$10,685
Per student
-12%
vs Indiana
Avg $12,079
-36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.6%
State 59.3%
Federal 8.1%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Lancaster Central School Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwell High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Ossian Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Norwell Middle School | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Lancaster Central School's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 753
- Students per teacher
- 19.3:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 566
- Students per teacher
- 15.7:1
- Resource Index
- 37/100
- Enrollment
- 561
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
Similar other schools in Bluffton
1 comparable other schools (grades Mixed) serving the same city.
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Indiana, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~533 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Lancaster Central School's federal record.
- Compare Lancaster Central School against another school. Compare schools
- Northern Wells Community Schools's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Lancaster Central School
How many students attend Lancaster Central School?
Lancaster Central School has 533 students enrolled. It is a public school in Bluffton, IN.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Lancaster Central School?
The student-teacher ratio at Lancaster Central School is 15.2:1, which is 4% lower than the Indiana average of 15.9:1 and 3% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Lancaster Central School?
34.0% of students at Lancaster Central School are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Indiana average of 49.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Lancaster Central School?
The largest demographic group at Lancaster Central School is White at 86.1% of enrollment, in Bluffton, IN.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Lancaster Central School?
Lancaster Central School has a Resource Investment Index of 37/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Lancaster Central School rank among public schools in Bluffton?
By Resource Investment Index, Lancaster Central School ranks #4 of 4 public schools in Bluffton, IN. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Bluffton on the city page.
Is Lancaster Central School a good school?
Lancaster Central School earns 37/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the Indiana median. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Northern Wells Community Schools?
Besides Lancaster Central School, Northern Wells Community Schools also operates Norwell High School (753 students), Ossian Elementary (566 students), and Norwell Middle School (561 students). See the Northern Wells Community Schools district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.